Let's look at this as a continuum ^_^.

On the far left, shall we say, we have those who post for the purpose of recruitment. If this is you, you may find yourself visiting these and other forums for the specific purpose of drawing people into a specific game. You may receive compensation for this, or you may not. You will, however, say anything and everything, regardless of how true it may or not be to promote your game and draw others in. I'll call this posting pattern L1.

Slightly less extreme would be those who post for the purpose of defending their game. This isn't recruitment, directly. No, in this case the goal is to retain what you have, perhaps because you have made a real investment of time, energy and emotion into it. You don't want people to leave the game, and you don't want possible newcomers to be scared off by bad press. Like the L1 category, those in this one (L2) will say just about anything and everything to protect their own investment. You don't have an agenda to hook newcomers, you certainly don't work for an MMO company, or receive any compensation from them, but you don't want to see the game die, and you hope that lots of positive press will give it a longer life.

L3, in my view, would be someone who likes their particular game, and wants to share its good points with others. There may or may not be an underlying desire to boost the game's population via this form of discussion. This person will not be overtly dishonest, but has a bias that leads them to see the good points largely to the exclusion of its problems. Problems highlighted tend to be ignored or explained away.

L4, is someone who likes the game, likes it's current players, defends current players, but does not do this at the expense of truth. People in this category argue against criticism that they feel is unfair, but are able to acknoledge the good, the bad and the ugly of their game of choice.

Swinging over the far right, we have R1. People in this group hate a particular game, gaming company, and either hate or look down on it's current players. Anyone supporting the hated evil service provider is an accomplice and is worthy of disdain. The game, game company and current supporters are viewed as acceptable targets of hostility. The company should go bankrupt, the game should be shut down, and current players deserve to lose everything. Truth is less important than the cause. Good points in the game are ignored or minimized, while problems are magnified.

People in a category that I'll call R2, are angry with a service provider and a game, but make a distinction between these and the players. There is a respect for truth, but anger highlights problems and creates a bias. The company can't do anything right, and everyone that works for them is little better than a trained chimpanzee. Hatred for current players is absent, but may be replaced by pity.

R3 has a respect for truth, and although a bias is present, it is acknowledged. There is also an attempt to manage the bias and be open to new information. Good points in a game are recognized, but not at the expense of honesty about its limitations. These posters take issue with those in categories L1 and L2 in defense of truth as a matter of principle, and/or with the hope that fellow gamers will have access to accurate information about a product they may invest in.

R4 has little interest in MMO politics. Truth is embraced, MMO's are enjoyed, and discussing them is done for interest sake: to share the experience and perhaps reminisce. If a game is bad, don't subscribe, simple. If it gets better, resubscribe if you feel like it...no big deal. Talk about business models, instancing, economies...because it's fun to discuss.

I'm sure I'm leaving some people out with this kind of rubric, but I think I've noticed all the above as I've read these boards. Unfortunately I just think like this automatically lol. I can see where I've been over the last few years, and I've seen some movement that I'd like to think of as progress ^_^.

For interest sake, where have you been on this continuum and where do you see yourself now? For self reflection, you could of course ask yourself if you're in what you think is a good place, but that would be just something personal you could look at sometime between now and your next new year's resolution lol.

Have fun :)

deleted

Interesting.  I'm not really sure...

Basicly I post my opinion on things.  Which I know isn't a "truth" its a point of view on subjective matter.  I don't always agree with those on one side or the other.

I like to pretend to have logic...

And I would honestly say most of what we argue or debate here we'll never know the truth of.  Only various points of view that don't mesh.

I have absolutely seen people here lie or somehow seem so disconnected from reality that they see it as truth.

I do find it funny that we attack or have to defend games here.  My perspective is that if you are here you should like to play games and/or MMO's.  If that is the case then you want every game to be the best game ever made.  This is what would convince people to invest in development.. to take chances.. to actually create and break free of the clone/mold.. or moldy clone.

Instead we flame each other.. want certain games to fail and others to succeed.

We are in fact exactly what is wrong with the industry and/or even the Patterns you have to apply to us now.

That's how I see it and/or my posting patterns...

Where do I fit?  I'm not really sure what my pattern is most of the time.  Was there an Ahole pattern?  Probably that would be me.

*edited to add*

There are many grammatical errors in this post.  They are there to retain balance between good and bad grammar so that neither is overpowered.  If you want to correct it feel free... but eventually I will have to nerf proper grammer into the dirt.

Originally posted by Antarious

Interesting.  I'm not really sure...

Basicly I post my opinion on things.  Which I know isn't a "truth" its a point of view on subjective matter.  I don't always agree with those on one side or the other.

I like to pretend to have logic...

And I would honestly say most of what we argue or debate here we'll never know the truth of.  Only various points of view that don't mesh.

I have absolutely seen people here lie or somehow seem so disconnected from reality that they see it as truth.

I do find it funny that we attack or have to defend games here.  My perspective is that if you are here you should like to play games and/or MMO's.  If that is the case then you want every game to be the best game ever made.  This is what would convince people to invest in development.. to take chances.. to actually create and break free of the clone/mold.. or moldy clone.

Instead we flame each other.. want certain games to fail and others to succeed.

We are in fact exactly what is wrong with the industry and/or even the Patterns you have to apply to us now.

That's how I see it and/or my posting patterns...

Where do I fit?  I'm not really sure what my pattern is most of the time.  Was there an Ahole pattern?  Probably that would be me.

*edited to add*

There are many grammatical errors in this post.  They are there to retain balance between good and bad grammar so that neither is overpowered.  If you want to correct it feel free... but eventually I will have to nerf proper grammer into the dirt.

Lol hitting "post message" first and proof reading later ftl :P 
 

Also, for the record I've generally found myself on a journey from R2 to R4, hoping to get there sometime before 2010 :).

I personally think I'm an L4. However, all the R1s think Ls 2-4 are all L1s.

This is a good analysis of how this particular forum works, although I think theres a few people who fall into categories all their own.

I'd say i am between a R2 and a R3 and will probably hit R4 once "it that shall not be named" hits v1.0. 

As much as I dislike SOE if they brought back the version of the game I enjoyed I would pay them for the pleasure.  Once v1.0 hits I will be done waiting on SOE to do the right thing.

Perhaps we add an N1 category for posters like myself? I usually lurk and digest the various debates on a daily basis, but rarely post. I'm usually prompted to post when something seems outrageous on either side.

This could also represent the few posters that come down on both sides of the fence -- they run the middle of the road, if you will. Of course, that's rather rare here.

deleted

Personaly I dislike placing people into certain catergories. I just see everyone as people, some I like, some I don't like, of course I am not sayiong that I am never guilty at placing people into certain boxes, but defintly not to the extend of what I see with this topic but can agree on certain points you have made, yeah Arc this is just my opinion

Originally posted by Reklaw

Personaly I dislike placing people into certain catergories. I just see everyone as people, some I like, some I don't like, of course I am not sayiong that I am never guilty at placing people into certain boxes, but defintly not to the extend of what I see with this topic, yeah Arc this is just my opinion

 

So you don't like placing people into categories but you're comfortable making sweeping generalizations about the mental health of the vets? Something there isn't right...

Originally posted by vet-in-exile

Originally posted by Reklaw

Personaly I dislike placing people into certain catergories. I just see everyone as people, some I like, some I don't like, of course I am not sayiong that I am never guilty at placing people into certain boxes, but defintly not to the extend of what I see with this topic, yeah Arc this is just my opinion

 

So you don't like placing people into categories but you're comfortable making sweeping generalizations about the mental health of the vets? Something there isn't right...

Of course I know some people have a hard time understanding words like SOME and often seem to think when someone uses the word SOME that it's meant as a generalizations of ALL VETS.

And if you are refuring to my sig, it is called a opinion.

Originally posted by vet-in-exile

Originally posted by Reklaw

Personaly I dislike placing people into certain catergories. I just see everyone as people, some I like, some I don't like, of course I am not sayiong that I am never guilty at placing people into certain boxes, but defintly not to the extend of what I see with this topic, yeah Arc this is just my opinion

 

So you don't like placing people into categories but you're comfortable making sweeping generalizations about the mental health of the vets? Something there isn't right...

The "vets" who cannot let go and who label everyone who likes the game as a viral marketer deserve to have their mental health called into question.

I do love how any topic here turns into a fight

As for where i stand, i'll have to think over your post, not sure i could fall into anything but we will see.

Originally posted by kobie173

I personally think I'm an L4. However, all the R1s think Ls 2-4 are all L1s.

This is a good analysis of how this particular forum works, although I think theres a few people who fall into categories all their own.

Lol I think you're onto something :)

Also, in response to another post:  I also dislike categorizing people.  I think it's better to think of this as organizing posts by theme, or looking at behavioural trends.

So, rather than saying someone is an L4, for instance, I might say their posting has L4 characteristics.  I also agree that some posts don't fit this very simple rubric, and that one author is capable of different styles on different days, or on different issues.

Even so, I've noticed that I started my posting hobby in the R2 category.  Mainly I was ticked with SOE and found others to vent with.  This was especially helpful, since many of us were banned or otherwise silenced on the official SOE boards.

As the anger subsided, I started highlighting things to counter what I thought was outrageously deceptive marketting on the part of SOE; I became a consumer advocate of sorts I suppose.

Now I still feel somewhat inclined to do that, but feel that really SOE's patterns are well known by most MMO gamers.  Now I'm more interested in talking about games, game companies, forum trends etc., just because I find it interesting, and enjoy interacting with other MMO fans about our pastime.

I think you left out the people who enjoy discussing MMORPG features and design options. What's good PvE or PvP. If you have PvP, how should you implement it? Is it possible to have a good FFA PvP design? Does zoning break immersion, or not? Which is better a skill system or a level based system? Why?

It's not about liking or hating specific games, but discussing the features each game has, and how they are implemented.

This can also cause confusion. Someone might want to discuss if FFA PvP in Darkfall is a good feature or not, but they don't really care that much about the specific game of Darkfall, it's only used as an example because it has that feature.  However, Darkfall fanbois will think that person is obvioiusly a hater or troll.

Originally posted by Ihmotepp

I think you left out the people who enjoy discussing MMORPG features and design options. What's good PvE or PvP. If you have PvP, how should you implement it? Is it possible to have a good FFA PvP design? Does zoning break immersion, or not? Which is better a skill system or a level based system? Why?

 

It's not about liking or hating specific games, but discussing the features each game has, and how they are implemented.

This can also cause confusion. Someone might want to discuss if FFA PvP in Darkfall is a good feature or not, but they don't really care that much about the specific game of Darkfall, it's only used as an example because it has that feature.  However, Darkfall fanbois will think that person is obvioiusly a hater or troll.

Good point ^_^.  This thread was originally in the SWG vet forum, and we don't get a lot of that there lol.  Some, mind you.  In my greatly oversimplified rubric I could see people with L4 or R4 posting patterns have this kind of discussion.  The further away from the extremes you get, I think the more respectful dialogue you can have about things like this.

im R3

I'm R2 sometime D2

but can be C3 or PO

woot ?